This was back to school week for us.† For some reason, even though I was very excited about starting back, I was being a huge procrastinator about the whole ‘planning’ thing.† I have our curriculum, mostly, but I have decided I am not going to spend hours and hours actually planning daily lessons.† I am taking advice from Theresa at OurLifeInWords and just jotting down what I want to cover each day and just going with the flow.† It seems to be working pretty well.†
We started SOTW 2 and are already in the 2nd chapter.† I am also reading aloud “Our Island Story” for some British history.† You can read it free online here.† Here is the free audio version from LibriVox.† Kei and I were talking about it yesterday.† How Americans know so much [well SOME of them] about US History but so very little about other countries.† She was very interested in British history because she is planning on living in England when she is older. 🙂 She loves all things British.† We are doing Life of Fred for Math for the first month or so.† I bought this last year but Kei wasn’t interested.† Now she is.† She is so funny, for those of you who know what LOF is …she was reading a chapter yesterday and she yelled, “Do you know what that fool just did”? and I said “Who” and she said, “Fred! He paid a billion dollars for a bicycle!”.† I told her that is why you can be a genius in one area and not have, as my grandmother would say, ‘walking around sense’.† We are using Writing with Skill for Writing which Kei seems to like so far. [3 days in!]† We are finishing up Zoology 3 and going to start Botany and then do Real Science 4 Kids Physics.† I have heard from so many people that Botany is gets a little intense the last few chapters so we will see. †
Kei is practicing for a Character Tea on Saturday.† It is a fund raiser for the Hartselle Fine Arts Center.† She is once again playing her favorite bad guy role, Horace, the bumbling, extremely stupid henchman.† She was in the Hartselle paper today promoting the Tea.
She also is practicing for her BIGGEST role to date.† She auditioned for “To Kill a Mockingbird” and got the role of Scout!!† She is so incredibly excited.† It is her first non musical role.† At the first rehearsal she knew every line already!† There are only 4 children in the entire production.† It is mostly an adult cast.† Kei has wanted to play Scout since she saw the movie when she was 7.† What is so ironic is that we were listening to the book on audio when we heard that they were doing this play.† Kei said it was a ‘sign’.† Harper Lee is from Alabama and the story, of course, takes place in Alabama.† I wish I could scoop you all up and bring you to the theatre on that day!
So we are busy around here.† Plays and learning cool things and building fairy houses and hanging out with friends.† We had a† couple of nights that it got cooler and it was so lovely around 7:00 AM.† I am ready for fall, I just wish we had a longer one.† It seems to be HOT and then COOL for a couple of weeks, then COLD.† I hope this is a wonderful year of learning for everyone.† I hope it is full of magical times with all of your children that you will remember forever.† Make it count.
Homeschooling Rocks!
Karen
ìWe ask children to do for most of a day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesnít interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any.î ~John Holt~ How Children Fail†
*More GREAT John Holt quotes here.
Oh that’s so awesome that she’s playing Scout! That is my favorite movie.
Karen, that’s SO SO SO exciting about Kei’s role! I read this a few days ago, thought, That’s Wonderful! And in my brain fog I forgot to comment. Brain FogóBOO. Kei as ScoutóYAY and double YAY!
I also can’t wait to see her perform one day. What a talented, focussed, fascinating person she is. No wonder I dream about you guys! 🙂
Your year looks like it’s off to a great start. A relaxed, go-with-the-flow, lots-of-ideas-in-the-pot, plan sounds like the perfect fit for you guys. I love that Kei is into Life of Fred! I can totally imagine Kei and my boy talking about Fred and all the gorgeous silliness in the books. I can’t wait ’til my girl is ready to read about Fred too!
How interesting that Kei plans to live in England. Did you know I spent 4 years there as a kid? My dad was English and I have an English passport (well, it expired a while ago, but I’m still half English). I can totally see Kei being there, immersing herself in all the amazing theatre, leaping at every adventure with her whole heart, her whole beautiful Self.
Ah. Thank you for another beautiful post, Karen!
You have a beautiful life. Thanks for sharing it with us.
Yay for Kei! I love the M & M art 🙂
It’s great that going with the flow in regards to lesson planning is working out for you.
Hello, Girls!
I blog over at http://www.differenthomeschoolgirl.blogspot.com, and I am considering starting a blog/group/community/Ning site for homeschool girls like you and me. Here’s a brief outline of my thoughts:
It would be a place for girls (age 21 or younger) who have been or are being homeschooled through middle school, high school, or college.
They must love Jesus.
They must be living a lifestyle that’s different from the World.
They want to be part of an online community with other homeschool girls who are living different lives, set apart for the Lord.
They want to encourage and be encouraged by others walking the same walk.
What do you think? Would you be a part of this group? Can you think of anyone else who would? Do you have any suggestions as to how it should be put together?
Thank you for your time!
Abigail Rogers
P.S. Part of the inspiration for this was this article: http://chrisdavis.wordpress.com/2011/06/14/the-lonely-homeschooled-girl/
Yay for Kei getting the role of Scout!!!!
I am glad to hear she is enjoying Writing with Skill…I can’t wait to try it with Allie!
We got a big kick out of Fred too! I can’t wait to start Decimals and Percents…but we will do that at the end of this year or next summer…once Allie finishes MUS Zeta (Decimals & Percents).
There is a book I have at home about a girl named Harper because her mother loved the book so much. The title escapes me but when I get home I will email you. It is a story Kei might enjoy……
I sure do hope that someday I get to see that girl perform. I am amazed by her passion!
SO exciting about Kei getting that role! AMAZING!!
I sure wish I could come watch.
🙂
Enjoyed reading your post! I am a total slacker when it comes to planning. I know in my head how much time I have to get things ready…yet at the same time, I always think I have more time than I actually have. Lol… I am very fortunate that we have an online homeschool curriculum that we know we use from year to year, so it doesn’t take too much planning on my part. 🙂
I have been hearing a lot about Life of Fred recently…I may check that out for my oldest to use as a math supplement. He does ok with math, but only just ok. That might change things up just enough for him.
We are also fans of all things British here. And Irish. Music, TV shows, foods and especially History. 😀
Again, enjoyed reading your post. Good luck with your upcoming school year!
Katie